YONKERS, N.Y. – Americans’ concerns about the environment are having an impact on everyday decisions and major purchases, according to more than ten years of research from Consumer Reports (CR), the nonprofit consumer research, testing, and advocacy organization.

CR has surveyed thousands of people since 2009 about their thoughts, behaviors, and concerns on a variety of environmental-related topics. This includes:

• Climate change: the dramatic shifts in weather patterns, including global warming
  
• Fuel economy: one of the ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles
  
• Product choices: household appliances, vehicles, and food that continue to have new, sustainable options

The data show that Americans care about the future of the planet; in 2020, more than four out of ten Americans (43 percent) said they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about global warming and climate change.¹

“Americans on the whole understand the very real effects of global warming and climate change,” said Kristen Purcell, Chief Research Officer at Consumer Reports. “And their behaviors reflect that. Our research over time illustrates the myriad ways people are trying to make a difference to protect the environment.”

When it comes to large purchase decisions, 69 percent of Americans who had purchased a major home appliance in 2017 said they had considered the impact on the environment when buying it², and before that, in 2015, 59 percent of Americans said they were willing to pay more for a product that is green, eco-friendly or safe for the environment.³

Automobiles are another high ticket item where consumers say they are willing to spend more to reduce gas use and air pollutants. In 2020, when asked how quickly fuel savings would have to offset the higher purchase price of a more fuel-efficient vehicle, more than half of Americans (57 percent) were okay with it taking more than a year. In fact, 13 percent said they would be willing to pay extra regardless; it didn’t matter if they made the money back.⁴

In surveys dating back to 2016, car owners consistently rank fuel economy as the top area for improvement on their vehicles, followed either by purchase price or maintenance cost⁵. Furthermore, since 2017, Americans expect fuel economy to continue to improve.⁶

At the same time, people are taking into consideration the environmental impact of everyday decisions - from what they eat and drink to how they carry home items from the store.

The data bears this out: 38 percent of Americans said in 2018 that it was a medium or high priority to look for food labeled “organic,” and 25 percent of Americans always or often bought food with this label.⁷ In addition, 38 percent said that it was a medium or high priority to buy food labeled “humanely raised” and 31 percent said it was a medium or high priority to buy food that was labeled “fair trade” -- with 21 percent and 16 percent, respectively, always of often buying food with these labels.⁸

A number of companies and communities across the community have recently banned single-use plastic as a way to reduce pollution. In response, more than half of Americans said in 2020 that they support bans on plastic bags. Americans are taking steps on their own, too. In the same survey, 68 percent of Americans said they have a reusable water bottle they use regularly. Of those who said they use a reusable water bottle, nearly half (49 percent) said it was made of stainless steel or aluminum.⁹

Consumer Reports is working to reduce the impact of consumption on the environment and public health. For more information, visit CR.org.

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¹ January 2020 Consumer Reports American Experiences Survey
² July 2017 Consumer Reports Sustainability Survey
³ February 2015 Consumer Reports Conscientious Consumer Survey
⁴ July/August 2020 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy and Electric Vehicles Survey
⁵ July/August 2020 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy and Electric Vehicles Survey, April 2020 Consumer Reports American Experiences Survey; June 2019 Consumer Reports Auto Fuel Economy Survey; May 2018 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy Survey; June 2017 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy Survey; May 2016 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy Survey
⁶ July/August 2020 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy and Electric Vehicles Surve, June 2019 Consumer Reports Auto Fuel Economy Survey, May 2018 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy Survey, June 2017 Consumer Reports Fuel Economy Survey
⁷ January 2018 Consumer Reports Food Labels Survey
⁸ January 2018 Consumer Reports Food Labels Survey
⁹ March 2020 Consumer Reports American Experiences Survey